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Minister provides information on service delivery at Metro St. John�s office Joan Burke, Minister of Human
Resources, Labour and Employment, stated today that significant steps are
being taken to provide quality, efficient and effective service to citizens
who are served from the St. John�s Metro Human Resources, Labour and
Employment office. "It has been a priority for me, as minister
responsible, to ensure that the considerable challenges present at Metro
office are addressed and that our clients get good service," said
Minister Burke.
Approximately 8,200 cases are
served through the St. John�s Metro office, the highest number in the
province. An average of 4,000 phone calls are received at the office each
week with 60 walk-in clients each day. In addition, many clients have
complex issues in their lives requiring coordination with other agencies and
community partners. "Issues surrounding the delivery of services to a
caseload of this volume has existed for a number of years without ever being
fully addressed. Since becoming minister of Human Resources, Labour and
Employment, I have been working extensively with department officials to
find ways to deal with the issues and concerns that have been brought to my
attention personally and to the attention of staff and officials. Much
progress has been made to date."
A comprehensive look at how best
to address service delivery issues has resulted in several steps being taken
to date. The office now has a regional enquiries co-ordinator in place. This
position will deal with the department�s regional appeal process, freeing
client service officers to work more closely with clients. A client liaison
social worker will begin duties next week, bringing expertise in dealing
with complex cases, providing advice to staff and supporting the efficient
delivery of services to clients. The department has already placed four
additional client service officers and further steps are now being examined
to ensure clients have appropriate access to service.
"Unlike the previous
government, this administration is exploring steps that will result in a
significant overall improvement in how we provide service to clients,"
said Minister Burke. "This includes addressing the challenges
associated with the current telephone service. We will continue to work with
staff, clients, advocacy groups and other stakeholders to identify and
implement solutions. It is of grave concern to me that access to service can
be difficult for our clients, some of whom are extremely vulnerable, and it
is my intention to ensure that these issues are dealt with in a way that
respects peoples� dignity and addresses their needs."
Media contact: Jacquelyn Howard,
Communications, (709) 729-4062 or (709) 689-2624
2004 11 18 9:40 a.m. |
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